TWO children who had run away from a care home were found in a flat belonging to a sex offender.

Blackburn magistrates heard the children revealed that Mark Anthony Nicholson had given them cigarettes and cider while they were in his flat.

Nicholson, 54, of Queen Victoria Road, Burnley, pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He was remanded in custody to Burnley Crown Court to be sentenced after the magistrates heard he was already on bail to the Crown Court awaiting sentence for similar matters.

Scott Parker, prosecuting, said Nicholson had been jailed for 18 months for child sex offences in 2019 when he had been made subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for 10 years.

On May 15 police were contacted about two boys who had gone missing from a residential care facility in Blackburn.

The boys had boarded the hospital shuttle bus to Burnley were they met Nicholson. After a conversation with his they went back to his house.

"While they were there they were given cigarettes and cider," said Mr Parker.

"The police subsequently obtained CCTV of the defendant buying alcohol from a nearby convenience store and then walking away from the store with two children."

Mark Williams, defending, said his client pleaded guilty but did not accept the facts in full.

"He does accept that they went with him to his property and that puts him in breach," said Mr Williams. "He also understands the position he is in and there is no application for bail."